Context, leadership and school success: Australian suburban, rural and remote cases from the ISSPP

David Gurr is a Professor of Educational Leadership in the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne. In a 45-year educational career, he has been a teacher, school counsellor, middle leader and an academic. David is a prolific writer and presenter focussed on all aspects of educational leadership and especially on successful school leadership and middle leadership. He is a founding member and leader of the International Successful School Principalship Project and the International Leadership Development Network. A former Vice-President of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders, he was awarded the ACEL’s most prestigious award, the Gold Medal, in 2014.

Christopher Hudson is a lecturer in education at Federation University, Australia. His doctorate was focused on successful rural school leadership in Australia. He has published academic papers and book chapters in several areas of education: the intersection of sport pedagogy and social justice, professional learning communities, teachers’ use of data to inform practice, and school leadership. He is also the author of the book, Leading Positive Classrooms – Adopting an Educative Approach to Behaviour Management in Schools. Through his consultancy and lecturing work, he aims to empower both teachers and students to maximise their potential for high-quality teaching and learning.

Klate McFarlane is an assistant principal at a government secondary school in Melbourne, Australia. He has been a principal of a remote Indigenous school in the Northern Territory of Australia. He has interests in English as a Second Language (ESL), Special Education, K-12 Education, Literacy, and Classroom Instruction. He is completing doctoral research at the University of Melbourne on the successful leadership of a remote Indigenous school in the Northern Territory, Australia. This research is part of The International Successful School Principalship Project.

Christopher John Reed has worked in Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Melbourne for 35 years, then as a Principal Advisor, Catholic Mission with the Victorian Catholic Education Authority, and he is now a lecturer with the Australian Catholic University in East Melbourne. He has held a number of leadership roles. Chris has been a primary school principal for more than 20 years across two schools. His interest in the contemporary Catholic school saw him undertake PhD research focused on the key contributing factors that impact on leading the implementation and development of a Catholic dialogue school. In 2020, Chris was the recipient of an ACEL fellowship award acknowledging his school leadership.

Lawrence Drysdale is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education, The University of Melbourne focusing on leadership, professional learning and organisational effectiveness. Over a career spanning more than 50 years he has been a primary school teacher, worked in system level professional learning and an academic in both teacher education and educational leadership. His activities include international research collaboration, consultancy, school review and program design. An international author, he has published widely in academic and professional journals and books, and has a strong connection to schools and systems.

Helen Goode is lecturer in leadership and management in the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne. She is a member of several joint international research collaborations including the International Successful School Principal Program (ISSPP), the International School Leadership Development Network (ISLDN and the World School Leadership Study (WSLS) and presents frequently at international conferences. Research interests and publications include leadership development and career paths of teachers and leaders, leadership and change, the role of coaching in building leadership capacity, and the sustainability of successful leadership. She works with school leaders and is a member of several boards of management.

Bernardita Moreno is a lecturer in Educational Leadership in the Faculty of Education at The University of Melbourne. She is member of the editorial board of the journal School Leadership and Management and guest editor of the special issue: Women and educational leadership. She is a member of the International Successful School Principalship Project and the International Leadership Development Network. She is a Trustee of the British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society, where she is co-convenor of the Leadership Preparation and Development Research Interest Group. Bernardita is an International Affiliate in the Centre for International Research into Leadership in Education.